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Late Varndell try earns Leicester Tigers play-off place

10/05/2008

A brilliant last-gasp try from Tom Varndell saw Leicester Tigers beat Harlequins 31-28 and claim a play-off place in the Guinness Premiership.

Quins were on course to claim the final play-off place as they led 21-12 at one stage, but a moment of individual magic from winger Varndell and Andy Goode's conversion meant it was Tigers who reached the play-offs.

What made the Tigers' achievement even more remarkable is that they would have missed out on a play-off place had Sale not suffered a surprising 17-7 defeat at home to London Irish.

The Tigers looked second best for much of the game today and they got off to a poor start as the Quins scored the first try as Mike Brown was first to react to a Chris Malone grubber kick to score.

Leicester managed to get back into the game almost immediately as a long pass by scrum-half Harry Ellis found Ben Herring on the left-wing and he side-stepped Chris Brooker to go over.

The home side then took the lead as the lightning-quick Varndell outpaced three Harlequins players to touch down in the left corner.

But some terrible Leicester defending gifted Quins two tries. First Will Skinner almost walked through a wide-open Tigers defensive line and scored a try form 30 metres out. Tom Williams managed to find enough space to pick up his own kick through and score under the posts. Malone converted both tries.

The teams shared a try each at the start of the second-half as Johne Murphy scored for Leicester and Williams scored again for Quins and when Malone added the extras and gave Quins an 11 point lead, it seemed the game was over.

But Leicester hit back through a Jordan Crane try which Goode converted and they were now only four points behind.

Varndell then won the game as he went on a 40 metre run and chipped the ball over Brown and collected the ball to score the winning try. Goode kept his nerve to add the decisive two points.